Mankind has used firearms for hunting, self-defense, law enforcement, and military purposes since the inception of firearms as early as the 14th Century. In many locations, including the United States of America, the right to bear arms is a protected individual right. For example, the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution delineates, “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Firearms are just as important in modern times as they have ever been.
The fundamental design of most firearms includes a stock, barrel, magazine for storing and loading bullets, and a trigger mechanism. Most firearms are designed to fire, or discharge bullets, with a finger-activated trigger. Persons with physical impairments, such as a lack of physical dexterity in the hands or fingers, may not be able to operate a finger-activated trigger. In addition, some people may prefer to operate a firearm with a non-finger activated trigger to improve the user experience including to avoid trigger burn, or to improve shooting accuracy. Thus, there is a need for a non-finger activated trigger mechanism to adapt the use of firearms for persons with physical impairments and to improve the user experience.
This invention provides a novel solution for a non-finger activated trigger mechanism including an ergonomic bite plate assembly, a spring-tensioned cable, a rod actuator assembly, a lanyard system with a quick-disconnect feature for holding the bite plate assembly for easy access, and a storage feature for safely storing the bite plate assembly when the firearm is not in use.